Thursday, January 28, 2010

UFC 109 Preview

UFC 109 on Saturday, February 6th has 11 bouts on the card including a matchup of Hall of Fame fighters as Randy Couture takes on Mark Coleman.There are five fights on the pay-per-view portion of the card and six preliminary bouts, two of which will be televised on Spike TV.

UFC 109 has a lot of big UFC odds favorites and that is somewhat unusual.Couture is-450 in UFC odds at SBG Global for his bout against Coleman.Not many people are giving Coleman much of a chance.These two fighters were supposed to meet almost 12 years ago in UFC 17 but Couture was injured and pulled out. Couture is a five-time UFC champion and he has proven that he can still win big fights as he got a unanimous decision against Brandon Vera at UFC 105. Coleman was the first UFC heavyweight champion but he has not fought the same level of competition that Couture has faced recently.Coleman spent much of his career fighting in Japan.

The other co-main event has Nate Marquardt as a -400 favorite against Chael Sonnen in UFC odds at SBG Global.Marquardt is 8-2 in the UFC odds and was very impressive last time out in UFC 102 as he defeated Demian Maia. The only two losses suffered by Marquardt in UFC action came against Thales Leites and Anderson Silva.

Mike Swick is a -220 favorite over Paulo Thiago in another main event bout.Swick will be trying to bounce back from a loss to Dan Hardy.Swick was looking at a title shot but the loss to Hardy set him back.Now he will have to fight his way back up. “I feel like I’ve made it pretty far and I want to make it all the way.” Swick said.

Demian Maia is -360 over Dan Miller in one of the other feature bouts while the only fight that has close odds on the main event card is the one between Matt Serra and Frank Trigg as Serra is a -130 favorite at SBG Global.

Our Friends over at Dock Squad Sports have informed us of the two fights on the Preliminary card set to be televised on Spike TV are

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

This will be like watching a pro wrestling event between two massive, powerful old dudes. The only difference is that neither has a gimmick. MMA bettors should keep an eye on this one because Coleman should have good odds yet he has the style to match up with Couture.

9. Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller, UFC 109-

Also at UFC 109 on February 6, 2010, Maia and Miller is an intriguing upset bet pick for many in the betting community. Miller is an unknown but he has the skill on the ground to avoid being submitted by Maia for a little while at least and perhaps an advantage on the feet.

8. Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping, UFC 110

Silva is a solid betting favorite going into this fight on February 20, 2010, but Bisping has the technical boxing skills to frustrate him and perhaps win.

7. Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine, UFC 110

Jardine is the most inconsistent light heavyweight in the UFC. The young Bader is already a slight favorite in the Sportsbook but the big question is which Jardine will show up in this one.

6. Junior dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga, UFC Fight Night on Versus

This March 21 tilt on Versus is a battle of two heavyweight title contenders with equally well-rounded skills. Expect very close odds on this one going into the fight and many bettors riding the wave of good fortune that dos Santos seems to be on.

5.Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin, UFC 111

Mir is using power lifting techniques to become the strongest physically we've ever seen him in anticipation for a rubber match with Brock Lesnar. He’ll gets the closest thing to Lesnar in Carwin, a fellow title contender.

4. Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch, UFC 111-

Alves lost the first fight via up-kick to Fitch. But now, he should be the favorite when the two likely meet at a UFC event down the line (111 potentially). Fitch isn't exciting but all he does is win. Who will the MMA and UFC bettors side with on this one?

3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria vs. Cain Velazquez, UFC 110-

Prior to his fight with Randy Couture, many bettors thought “Minotauro” Nogueira was on the verge of retirement and another loss. But now, the tables have turned as Big Nog is a slight favorite against his younger, more athletic counterpart for their UFC 110 headliner.

2. Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn, UFC 112-

It seems every time Penn fights the next lightweight challenger, a new group of fans and bettors stands up and prematurely predicts his demise. Edgar has the boxing and wrestling to keep this one close and potentially pull a big upset in the minds of some bettors. This fight is likely to go down at UFC 112 in April from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Penn has been unbeatable at the 155-pound level, I wouldn’t bet against him.

1. Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva, UFC 112-

“The Spider” is the kind of UFC fighter you simply don't bet against, ever. But Belfort is the kind of guy who can knock out any middleweight with one well-placed shot, and Silva's chin hasn't been tested in a while. Silva should be a solid favorite but there's a reason why they call his Brazilian countryman and ex-UFC champion “The Phenom.” This could be the most explosive MMA fight of the year for bettors and fans alike.